What is a horse health emergency?
Finding your horse badly injured or unwell is understandably concerning. It’s easier said than done, but staying calm and getting help from your vet quickly is critical. If your horse’s condition is serious, time really is of the essence, especially if you’re unsure how long your horse has been unwell or injured.
When in pain, horses can behave out of character and become unpredictable to handle. If you need to hold your horse, try to keep them in a safe area and, where possible, make sure you’re wearing a hat and gloves.
If you’re away from the usual place your vet normally visits your horse, using What3Words will give an exact location, including any other instructions to prevent time lost trying to find you.
Emergency care planning for horse owners
Being prepared for an emergency can make all the difference to your horse, which includes having an easily accessible, well-maintained first aid kit.
Preparing an emergency care plan can help you consider your options and have the necessary information readily available. It also provides an authorised person with your wishes and vital contact information, only in the event of you being uncontactable.
Creating a horse emergency care plan
Taking the time to research and complete an emergency care plan for your horse will help you consider your options and have the necessary information on hand to help with making a difficult decision.
Being able to focus, understand the options provided by your vet and potentially make some very difficult decisions in a stressful situation is far from easy. Understandably, thinking about what could happen in an emergency probably isn’t at the top of our to-do lists.
However, in critical situations, such as when a referral to a veterinary hospital may be needed, being prepared in advance could make a huge difference to your horse.
If you’re loaning a horse, it’s important to have a clear loan agreement in place. This should cover all eventualities, including who’s responsible for emergency decision-making and paying the vet bills. In partnership, work together with the horse owner to complete an emergency care plan that you both agree on.
Use our free downloadable template to create your own emergency care plan.
Key decisions to plan for in a horse emergency
Our emergency care plan recommends including:
- Important contact details
- Your horse’s normal temperature, pulse and respiration
- Any health history and medications
- Insurance policy information including any exclusions
- Your decision for what you’d like to happen to your horse in different circumstances
- Details of your preferences in case of euthanasia.
Sharing your emergency plan with others
There are times when you’ll be absent from your horse, such as being on holiday or working away from home. It’s important to nominate an authorised person to act on your behalf in an emergency, if you’re ever uncontactable. If you’ve a yard manager, ideally, they should be the authorised person.
Sharing and discussing your emergency care plan and what you’d like to happen to your horse with your nominated person and vet practice is essential. The plan can be kept at your yard or field so it’s within reach if anyone discovers your horse in distress.
Emergencies can often be stressful and difficult to manage alone, so having the support of a friend or family member can be beneficial.
Referral to an equine hospital
In a lot of cases, your vet will be able to treat many illnesses and injuries on your yard. However, some horses will require referral for further tests, intensive medical treatment and possibly surgery. You’ll need to decide if hospitalisation or surgery is a suitable option for you and your horse’s circumstances, or whether euthanasia would be a suitable alternative over intensive treatment or surgical aftercare.
As part of completing your plan it’s important to consider:
- Will your horse load and travel safely to a hospital? How far away is the hospital to your yard?
- How will your horse cope with hospitalisation and box rest?
- Can you afford the costs of imaging, surgery, recovery and any potential complications?
- Can you provide the aftercare and rehabilitation for your horse and the associated costs?
- Does your horse have any underlying health problems or other complicating factors?
During an emergency your vet will likely advise you or your nominated authorised person on:
- Your horse’s chance of survival and prognosis
- Your horse’s quality of life post recovery
- Whether your horse is suitable for referral.
How much will it cost to refer my horse to an equine hospital?
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Referral treatment can be very expensive, varying from hundreds to thousands of pounds. Having veterinary insurance for your horse can make it easier to make decisions, but there are a number of points to consider.
If you don’t have veterinary insurance cover:
- What can you realistically afford?
- Will your funds cover the treatment, rehabilitation and any potential complications?
- How easily accessible are your funds?
If you’ve got veterinary insurance cover:
- Is your insurance policy still valid?
- What’s your maximum insurance cover?
- What excess do you have to pay on your insurance policy?
- Is this insurance cover for veterinary fees and/or other health costs (for example farriery, physiotherapy and rehabilitation)?
- Are any conditions or diseases excluded for your horse?
- Are stabling, transport or other associated costs covered?
- Does your insurance cover injury, illness, loss of use and/or death of your horse?
- Will your insurance company pay the fees directly or do you have to pay upfront and reclaim?
Be aware that some treatments or surgical procedures may exceed the maximum amount covered by your policy, which means you’d have to pay the outstanding amount.
As an example, the average cost of medical treatment for colic in a hospital in 2023 was £2,265 with a range of £683–£13,762. The average cost of colic surgery was £8,690 with a range of £4,764–£20,3431. These figures don’t include costs incurred before and after referral to the hospital.
Emergency transport for your horse
Do you have an emergency transport plan? Be prepared to notify your transport prior to your vet arriving to avoid a delay if referral is needed.
- If you have your own transport, is it currently insured, road worthy and ready to use?
- If you don’t have your own transport, consider:
- Who would you contact in an emergency?
- Do you have their contact details? Are they experienced, reliable and available to attend 24/7?
Are you ready to leave immediately?
- Will you need assistance to load and travel your horse?
- Is your horse’s passport readily accessible? (In an emergency, vet practices will accept your horse without this, but you’re advised to always travel with it).
Reviewing your horse’s emergency care plan
Once you’ve completed your plan, we recommend that you:
- Review and update your emergency care plan annually
- Review your plan if there’s any changes to your horse’s health or your personal circumstances that would impact the decisions you’d originally made.
Types of horse emergencies
You know your horse better than anyone, and even the most subtle signs can indicate a serious problem, so it’s important to take notice of these. Always contact your vet if you’re concerned.
Equine Grass Sickness
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Equine Grass Sickness (EGS) is a debilitating and frequently fatal disease affecting the horse’s digestive system. We support the Moredun Institute and provide funding towards their Biobank to collect samples from horses with suspected EGS to allow for further research to help find a cure to this awful disease. In the sad event that your horse has, or potentially suffered with, EGS please consider the collection of samples via biopsy.
Colic
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Colic is one of the most common emergency call outs and any delay could affect the outcome for your horse. Considering your options, understanding your insurance/finances and having transport readily available during colic cases will give your horse the best chance of recovery.
For critical cases, or circumstances where further treatment isn’t feasible, it means making the difficult decision for euthanasia to help prevent any further suffering.
Hoof and horseshoe emergencies
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While a twisted shoe isn’t a veterinary emergency it can easily become one if your horse steps on a nail, causing a penetration injury. Your farrier will explain how to remove a shoe in an emergency.
If your horse has stepped on a nail from a twisted shoe, don’t remove it, keep your horse as still as possible (if in a safe area) and contact your vet immediately.
Sudden lameness
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Choke
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Choke is where your horse’s oesophagus becomes blocked and can be alarming for both you and your horse. If you spot signs of choke, don’t panic and contact your vet who will be able to support.
Heat stress
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If your horse is showing signs of heat-related illness, contact your vet. Move your horse into the shade and provide water to encourage them to drink. Start to cool them by continuously applying cold water all over their body, without scraping, until help arrives.
Horse wounds
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If wounds are deep, have a foreign body embedded in them or are over high-risk areas such joints, eyes or genitalia, contact your vet. Wounds that are bleeding excessively may need an emergency pressure bandage while you wait for your vet. Don’t attempt to remove any foreign bodies such as nails, unless advised by your vet.
Tetanus is also a concern if your horse has a wound. Check their vaccination status and if they’re not up to date for tetanus, contact your vet.
Unable to stand
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If your horse becomes unstable while standing, walking or is laying down and unable or unwilling to get up, you must contact your vet immediately.
Atypical Myopathy
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Atypical Myopathy (AM) occurs when your horse eats sycamore material including seeds, seedlings and leaves. They contain a substance called Hypoglycin-A (HGA) in varying concentrations. When eaten, HGA is converted into a toxin within the horse’s body. The toxin has a rapid negative effect and can slow or even stop energy production in the horse’s muscle fibres.
Most cases of AM occur during the autumn when seeds and leaves dropped on the pasture are eaten, or during the spring when the sycamore seedlings are growing.
Caring for your horse after an emergency
Following your vet’s advice is important for the aftercare treatment and care needed for a successful recovery. Depending on the injury or illness, this may result in a sudden change of management for your horse, such as needing to be kept on box-rest or restricted turnout.
Alongside physical care, your horse’s mental wellbeing is just as important. With your vet’s guidance, consider ways of providing suitable enrichment opportunities. Where possible, make sure your horse has company, such as friends taking it in turns to be stabled next to them, or opportunities for mutual grooming, which will have a positive effect.
Monitor your horse closely, and understand what positive improvement looks like or what should be a cause for concern, such as a wound becoming infected. Work closely with your yard manager, fellow owners and other professionals who are involved with your horse’s care. Check and update your emergency care plan to add any required changes.
Make sure you have the equipment and supplies you need, such as bandages and medications, and that these are used as directed. Some horses may feel unsettled during treatment, so always prioritise your safety. Wear a hat and get support where needed.
If you’re unable to complete any aftercare, it’s important to contact your vet. Time will need to be spent to work with your horse to rebuild their trust and confidence when being handled in the affected area.
Euthanasia
While we’d prefer not to think about emergencies resulting in euthanasia, it’s an important factor to consider. Making decisions ahead of an emergency can ease the process and, in your absence, make sure your wishes are considered in an emergency, alongside veterinary advice. Recording your preferred method of euthanasia and what you’d like to happen afterwards on your emergency care plan can help during an upsetting time.
Our Friends at the End support scheme offers free help and advice to anyone before, during and after the loss of their horse or pony.
References
- Mair, T., et al., (2024) Cost of referral treatment for colic in the United Kingdom—What has changed in the last 5 years?. Equine Veterinary Journal, 56(S59), pp.19-20.
- Burrell, K., et al., (2024) Horse owners' and veterinary practitioners' experiences of decision-making for critical cases of colic. Equine Veterinary Journal, 56(6), pp.1216-1228.
